Mindanao, the story of a Muslim mother who cares for a cancer-stricken daughter while waiting for her soldier husband to return from deployment, was the big winner at the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival’s (MMFF) Gabi ng Parangal that took place at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City on Friday night, December 27.
The film emerged from this year’s MMFF Awards Night with the lion’s share of the honors, winning the Best Picture prize, along with the Best Actress for Judy Ann Santos, Best Actor for Allen Dizon, and Best Director for Brillante Mendoza.
Even before the film premiered at the MMFF, Judy Ann’s performance in Mindanao had already earned her a Best Actress award at the Cairo International Film Festival.
Below is a full rundown of all the 2019 MMFF awards night winners:
Best Picture 1st: Mindanao
2nd: Write About Love
3rd: Sunod
Best Actress: Judy Ann Santos, Mindanao
Best Actor: Allen Dizon, Mindanao
Best Director: Brillante Mendoza, Mindanao
Best Supporting Actress: Yeng Constantino, Write About Love
Best Supporting Actor: Joem Bascon, Write About Love
Best Child Performer: Yuna Tangog, Mindanao
Best Screenplay: Write About Love
Best Editing: Write About Love
Best Cinematography: Sunod
Best Production Design: Sunod
Best Visual Effects: Mindanao
Best Sound Design: Mindanao
Best Musical Score: Write About Love
Best Original Theme Song: Write About Love
Gat Puno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award: Mindanao
FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence: Mindanao
Male Star of the Night: Aga Muhlach
Female Star of the Night: Carmina Villaroel
Best Ensemble: Culion
Special Jury Prize: Write About Love
Best Float Award: Mindanao
Gender Sensitivity Award: Mindanao
Best Short Film: Pamana ni Lola, Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa
Jury Prize Student Short Film: Bronze, Silver, Gold at Anting-anting, De La Salle University – Integrated School Manila
The MMFF Hall of Fame Awards was also held as part of the larger Gabi ng Parangal.
This was to recognize past award recipients, who have been awarded three or more times in the same category in the past editions of the Gabi ng Parangal.
Hall of Fame Awards:
Best Sound Engineer
– Ditoy Aguila
– Michael Idioma
– Rolly Ruta
Best Musical Score
– Dionisio Buencamino
– Von De Guzman
– Jaime Fabregas
– Jessie Lasaten
Best Editing
– Vito Cajili
– Manet Dayrit
– Jess Navarro
– Edgardo Vinarao
Best Visual Effects
– Roadrunner Network Inc.
Best Art Director
– Rodel Cruz
– Joey Luna
Best Cinematography
– Rudy Lacap
– Carlo Mendoza
– Romy Vitug
– Lee Meily
Best Director
– Marilou Diaz-Abaya
– Joel Lamangan
– Jose Javier Reyes
Best Supporting Actress
– Eugene Domingo
– Cherie Gil
Best Actor
– Anthony Alonzo
– Christopher de Leon
– Cesar Montano
Best Actress
– Nora Aunor
– Amy Austria
– Vilma Santos-Recto
– Maricel Soriano
This year’s MMFF magic eight official entries include Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis’ The Mall, The Merrier; Coco Martin’s 3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon; Aga Muhlach’s Miracle In Cell No. 7; and Vic Sotto and Maine Mendoza’s Mission Unstapabol’: The Don Identity.
Also running in the movie theaters are Judy Ann Santos and Allen Dizon’s Mindanao; Carmina Villarroel and Mylene Dizon’s Sunod; Miles Ocampo and Rocco Nacino’s Write About Love; and Iza Calzado, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Meryll Soriano’s Culion.
The MMFF nationwide screening runs from December 25 until January 7, 2020.
